


after

by freckliephil



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Fluff, Just some post-tour self indulgence because i miss them, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 04:42:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckliephil/pseuds/freckliephil
Summary: another adventure, conquered. now the world can start spinning normally again.





	after

**Author's Note:**

> thanks so much to jen (laddyplester on here and tumblr) for betaing this, and just generally being a full time angel and lovely human being. <3

Two days after the tour ends, Dan gets a text from Phil’s mum.

It’s a simple text. They’re both aware of how much their families have missed the two of them being available—constantly changing time zones have made phone calls and text conversations short at best and completely absent at the most chaotic parts of the tour. It’s unsurprising that the second they get home their phones would start going crazy. Dan’s already screened about 3 calls from his own mum in the past 24 hours.

Still, it makes Dan smile. It’s the first one he reads while standing in the bathroom post-shower, having forgotten about checking messages and emails until the notification had spooked him and nearly made him fall over on the slippery ground. 

Kathryn Lester: _we miss you boys, come up soon? Glad you’re back home <3_

He walks out of the bathroom, steam flowing out of the door behind him. There’s a towel loosely wrapped around his waist and his hair is dripping wet. There’s also a light, fading mark on the lower side of his collarbone from a rather enthusiastic round of morning sex—the first time back in their own bed, post tour and drunk off of the knowledge that life is getting back to normal.

It’s a small, light mark that could be easily hidden with any of the random t shirts he should choose to throw on, should the the need arise. It doesn’t matter though. They’ve earned enough of a break for phil to give him as many love bites as he feels necessary. In fact, he’s happy to have an excuse to not film—happy to lounge around their apartment and do nothing but sleep, eat, and fuck for a couple days.

Phil is still exactly where Dan left him, nearly naked save for a pair of black Calvin Kleins clinging to his thighs, phone held precariously above his head. 

“Your mum texted us,” Dan says. He eyes the wardrobe, briefly entertaining the concept of putting clothes on, but settles instead for flopping down on the bed next to his distractingly handsome boyfriend. 

“Mmm,” Phil hums, throwing his phone down to the end of the bed and immediately making grabby hands at Dan’s waist. Dan scoots closer immediately, letting Phil cling all he wants. The truth is that Dan simply doesn’t have it in him to resist this right now. It’s been a long fucking tour, and Phil smells like home and warmth and a little bit like slow, easy mornings spent in bed. Phil buries his face in Dan’s neck, leaving a feather light kiss right below his ear, and murmurs, “I didn’t hear any of the words you just said. You’re really pretty and you smell like the woods.” 

“It’s new shampoo,” Dan informs him. “You smell like you need a shower.” 

Phil huffs, not justifying Dan’s teasing with a response and burrowing even further into his neck. “Your mum smells like—”

Dan cuts Phil off. “Speaking of mums.” 

“Nope,” Phil says. Dan feels one of his hands slap over his mouth, and Phil drags himself up, until he can replace his hand with his lips, effectively stopping Dan short. “You know that my mum is a topic for outside of the bedroom when we’re both fully clothed. Please respect the rules of our home.” 

Dan laughs into Phil’s mouth, letting himself be kissed. It’s sloppy and wet, both of them knowing that there’s next to no chance of it going anywhere. Dan’s not using any of his usual techniques, feeling loose and loved in a way that feels all-encompassing. He feels whole.

Eventually they pull apart, and Dan manages to get a hand onto Phil’s chest long enough to push him a fraction of an inch away, giving him a look. 

“Philip Lester,” he says, ignoring the groan and eye roll that it receives. Phil has been extra clingy since they stepped foot into their apartment last night. Usually it’s Dan who clings and pushes and needs, but something about being back home, for good this time, has both of them feeling like physical contact is a 24/7 necessity. “Your mother texted us this morning.” 

Phil moves to the end of the bed, defeated, and grabs his phone from where it lays, abandoned next to the fuzzy blanket at the foot. 

“Correction,” he says, scrolling, “My mum texted _you_. There’s no notification in the group chat.” 

“It’s ‘cause I’m her favorite.” 

“I’ll actually fight you.” 

Dan laughs, reaching over to hand Phil the phone so he can see the message. He watches as Phil reads it, eyes somehow softening even the slightest bit more. He really is the biggest mama’s boy alive. Dan loves him so, so much. 

“Should we call her?” Dan asks. Phil sighs, discarding the phone. He turns his attention back on Dan, eyes on the prize, and pushes him back until his head hits a pillow. 

“Later,” he says, nipping at the darkened mark on Dan’s collarbone, “I have plans first.” 

Dan groans, kicking off his towel. He can live with that.

***

Two hours later finds them in roughly the same position, made different only by the loose sweatpants that hang low on dan’s hips, a worn hoodie that seems to be practically swallowing Phil, and the two bowls of microwave popcorn between them. Phil’s got his phone resting on the bed, his finger hovering over his mum’s contact.

“I’m calling,” he says, popping another piece of popcorn into his mouth as his finger hits the button, “behave.” 

“ _You_ behave.” Dan scoffs as the phone rings out into the room on speaker, “As if I would ever misbehave in front of your mum.” 

“Hello, child.” Kathrine Lester’s voice rings through the air, causing both of them to smile. 

“Hi mum,” Phil says. He gestures to Dan as if it weren’t a phone call and Kath could actually see him. “Dan’s here too.” 

“Hello other child,” Kath says. Her voice, as always, feels like a warm hug. 

Dan grins, leaning into Phil and resting his head on his shoulder. “Hi mum.” 

“So,” Kath starts, voice stern, “when is the soonest date that I can steal your attention for a weekend?” 

They both laugh. Phil raises his eyebrows at Dan ( _what do you think?_ ), who shrugs ( _up to you_ ). Dan opens up his calendar app on his phone and places it in Phil’s hand, who starts ticking through the dates with concentration. 

“Two weeks from now looks good,” Phil says. “It’s gonna be cold up there, yeah?” 

“It’s already cold, you’ll want to pack for that,” Kath says. “I’ll run it by your dad and make sure, but that weekend should work. Will you text Martyn? Maybe we can have everyone all together.” 

The prospect fills Dan’s whole chest with a warmth that seems to be exclusively reserved for the Lesters. He grabs his phone back from Phil and sends a text to Martyn, letting the sound of Phil catching Kath up on the last leg of the tour blur into the background. Once he’s sent the text, he sets his phone down and closes his eyes, still resting with his body pushed as close to Phil’s as possible.

It’s soothing, listening to nothing but the sound of Phil’s voice conversing with Kath’s. The gentle teasing and joking between the Lesters never fails to make Dan feel safe in a way he can’t quite explain. It feels like being 18 and head over heels for the first time and witnessing what family is supposed to feel like—easy in a way his family never was and understanding in a way that takes you for who you are, whatever that may be. 

It feels like home, something these past couple months have reminded him to be very, very appreciative of. They’ve both missed it like crazy.

After a little bit, Phil nudges Dan in the side. It’s doesn’t hurt, but it’s hard enough to make him realize he’d been dozing off mid-phone call, cozy with the feeling of his own bed and the comfort of familiarity. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles, squinting at the phone to read that they’ve been on the call for about 20 minutes. Phil chuckles softly at him, and Dan shifts his head to get a better look at him. He looks relaxed, calm in a way that makes something tug at Dan’s chest. After months and months of shoulders being a bit too tense and hands shaking a bit too much, Phil looks absolutely grounded. He’s warm and his shirt is soft and he’s had a lazy sort of smile plastered on his face all morning. 

And just like that it feels like a moment—one of those “we did it” moments that feels big and all encompassing, something that will stick in their memories for a long, long time. They did it, and now it’s over, and it’s a really good feeling. 

“Mum was just asking you how you’re feeling,” Phil says, eyebrows raised. He’s teasing, but Dan can hardly blame him for it. 

“Glad to be home,” he croaks, eliciting the laughter of both Phil and Kath. 

“I’m really proud of you two,” Kath says then. It brings the laughter in the room to a slow stop, an air of seriousness and real, motherly affection overtaking the conversation.

They look at each other, eyes soft. “Thank you,” they say in unison. 

"Of course, I love you both very much and you never cease to impress me,” Kath says. “Now, no more leaving the country for a couple years, please.”

Phil laughs. “Yes, mum,” he says, feigning sheepishness. 

Dan lets his eyes fall shut to combat the emotions welling up behind his eyelids. He’s feeling a bit weepy, months of exhaustion and adrenaline and adventuring with his favorite person hitting him harder than ever now that it’s all come to a close. He’s already cried—more than once, in fact--but every time this happens he tells himself he’ll stop doing it once he’s let it out. 

It’s a lot. He’s tired down to his bones, but it’s the kind of tired that feels well-earned. It’s the kind of tired he can see the end of, and he welcomes it with open arms. He knows he doesn’t need to cry right now, so instead he’ll let himself drift into the background while Phil and his mum talk about the upcoming holidays and other family gossip. 

He’ll let himself be taken over by sleep, and when Phil hangs up the phone with his mum, Dan will let his ridiculously gorgeous boyfriend kiss him awake in his own bed with no one else around but the two of them, and then he’ll let himself fall in and out of consciousness until the world feels like it’s started spinning normally again. And in two weeks, they’ll be up north with the Lesters, and everything else will feel like an amazing memory, because that’s what it’ll be.

**Author's Note:**

> anyone else here uhhhhhhhhh miss dan and phil? just me? well, ok, here's this anyway. come say hi on tumblr if you want, I'm [@freckliephil](https://freckliephil.tumblr.com/). while you're there, go ahead and reblog this fic [here](https://freckliephil.tumblr.com/post/177280531027/fic-after), and since you're also here right now, how about leave a comment? i need validation or i'll wither away. 
> 
> thanks for reading! <3


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